A photographer records Tuesday's grant announcement by Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton (center) and other officials at Petersburg's pre-war South Side Depot. (CIVIL WAR TRUST)

Virginia, Petersburg, Civil War Trust, National Park Service take a team approach on Civil War heritage

BY CLINT SCHEMMER
THE FREE LANCE-STAR 

Two major Civil War sites in Petersburg will be preserved with help from state grants, the national Civil War Trust and the city of Petersburg.

Gov. Bob McDonnell announced nearly $850,000 in funding Tuesday to help restore downtown's South Side Depot, which served the last rail line controlled by the Confederate army, and preserve Cemetery Hill, an 81-acre tract that played a critical role in three battles.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board awarded a $448,000 grant to the Civil War Trust to help buy Cemetery Hill between the antebellum Blandford Cemetery, home to a famous chapel that honors Confederate war dead, and the Fort Stedman portion of Petersburg National Cemetery.

The city of Petersburg received a $400,000 grant to help restore the depot, which will eventually become a National Park Service visitor center for the battlefield park.

"The 10-month Petersburg Campaign saw over 16 major battles, with more than 80,000 men killed, wounded or captured, and was crucial to reuniting our great nation," McDonnell said. "It is imperative that we take every step to preserve as much of this hallowed ground as possible so that future generations can enjoy the rich history that these sites have to offer."

The governor said he was "very pleased" that state agencies, the trust and the city were working together to save the properties.

Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean T. Connaughton explained the public–private partnership during a ceremony Tuesday outside South Side Depot.

"The ongoing commemoration of the Civil War sesquicentennial provides us with an ideal opportunity to work with the trust to preserve, promote and protect our historic sites," he said. "This partnership is creating a legacy that will last for generations to come."

Mayor Brian Moore said the depot grant will aid Petersburg's efforts to join with the national battlefield to interpret the community's history.

"Once restored for public education and enjoyment, the South Side Depot is expected to bring thousands of tourists into Old Towne every year, which will contribute to Petersburg's economic base," Moore said.

Petersburg's surviving Civil War sites are among the finest in the country, trust President James Lighthizer said.

"If I were to tally the battlefield land in this nation most worthy of meaningful, permanent protection, the sites in and around Petersburg would have to be at the top of the list," he said. "Considering the duration, intensity and significance of the fighting that happened here, this must be counted as some of the most hallowed ground in America."

The trust will contribute $100,000 to help stabilize and restore the depot.

Cemetery Hill, one of the area's largest remaining unprotected Civil War properties, was significant in the Union army's initial assault on Petersburg, which occurred on June 18, 1864; the July 30, 1864, Battle of the Crater; and the Confederates' surprise attack on Fort Stedman on March 25, 1865.

Cemetery Hill was never taken by the Federals. It was abandoned when Gen. Robert E. Lee evacuated Petersburg and Richmond on the night of April 2–3, 1865.

Buying the land will cost $750,000. The trust will raise the balance from public and private sources.

ON THE NET:
civilwar.org/petersburg12

Clint Schemmer: 540/368-5029
cschemmer@freelancestar.com